SARASOTA–Skies were a cloudless and brilliant blue. Smiles and laughter were abundant. And … Florida Baptist Disaster Relief trucks and tents dotted the landscape.

There had been no disaster in Sarasota in late April. Why the obvious disaster relief presence?

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers showed up in Sarasota on Good Friday as “fair-weather” friends–ready to serve in times of joy, when skies are blue.

Disaster relief teams served thousands of community residents who gathered for First Sarasota Downtown. As disaster relief volunteers partnered alongside volunteers from  First Sarasota Church, the event included worship, baptisms, an Easter egg hunt, more than 5,000 hotdogs, and a special message from Florida native and College Football Hall of Famer Tim Tebow.

This day’s festivities were just one of many “blue-sky” events for Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers to share their skills, training and love for God and neighbors.

Blue-sky events are opportunities for trained disaster relief volunteers to serve Floridians in non-crisis times—something that energizes Rich Rigdon, associate director of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief.

“So often, our volunteers are only serving during very high-pressure and fast-paced situations,” said Rigdon.

With a background in the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, over the past four years Rigdon has learned to be “flexible” as he and David Coggins, director of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, seek to serve Florida Baptists well. Looking for more creative and effective ways to serve churches across six regions, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is using its equipment and resources in a more multipurpose capacity.

“We want to be good stewards of the giving and resources we have to serve the convention of churches,” said Rigdon. “Our goal is to keep the box trucks empty in order to pivot and be ready to mobilize.”

Regional disaster relief teams are not only trained and available to serve in triage mode, but also to offer assistance and training to churches as a tool and resource for ministry and community-wide events. Whether cooking hot meals, delivering dry goods, or working with a variety of ministries, disaster relief teams are utilizing more modular and multi-use equipment.

Blue-sky events include serving at Next Generation summer camps, feeding the National Guard, offering national disaster relief training, assisting at associational meetings and more.

“It’s the very definition of missional—loving on people and interacting with people,” Rigdon said.

‘Right beside’ local churches

While the blue-sky events help train new disaster relief volunteers and local church volunteer teams, allowing teams to serve in more joyous ministry occasions, the events also champion the Florida Baptist Convention motto of being ‘right beside’ local churches.

“Our goal is not to be there as disaster relief; we want to represent the church, for the local church to be the beacon of light in the community,” said Rigdon. “This is why we don’t set up in school parking lots or parks; we want to champion the church.”

Not wanting to be in competition with churches, but rather to be in cooperation and complementing what Florida Baptists are doing in their communities, Rigdon said the blue-sky events are a “win-win” for his team.

“These [blue-sky events] are a win-win for us,” he said. “They are things that we can do well, with the supplies that we already have, and we can highlight churches and come alongside churches at the same time as we serve and participate with them.”

“Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is blessed to work alongside our amazing churches,” he said.